As a result, each remote location poses its own vulnerabilities. The transition to home offices can pose significant security threats because employees are no longer logging into a centralized and well-protected network. Companies have to assist in the best way they can, although they will not be able to meet every employee’s needs, as they will differ from location to location, home to home.Įnsure secure access from remote locations Similarly, most employees will require more than their laptop to maintain day-to-day operations, such as external monitor displays and reliable printers and scanners, extras like noise-canceling headphones, and most importantly, a fast, secure internet connection. “Another program is Trello for project management, which also works well when you’re a boss asking ‘Hey, what are you working on?’” “You also need a great chat tool, like Slackor Skype,” explains Singh. Gagan Singh, vice president of strategy and innovation for HP’s commercial PC business, believes organizations need to put together a “cocktail of tools” to enable productivity while working remotely. Fortunately there has been an explosion in software that enable remote meetings in recent years, such as Zoom and Microsoft Audio Conferencing. “I was on with a senior leader who had a Zoom backdrop up and then he dropped it to show the chaos behind him.” This gives employees permission to be themselves and makes them feel more connected to their manager and the company.Ī successful remote work strategy requires the right tools to keep business running and minimize disruption as much as possible. “One group did a Zoom call with their kids on their laps,” she says. Keogh adds that in recent weeks HP has been encouraging staff to bring their home life into the picture. “As a leader, you are modeling your authentic self and you need to bring that to work,” she says. HP’s chief human resources officer, Tracy Keogh, believes there’s an opportunity for managers to reduce that pressure by removing the veil and acknowledging that everyone is in the same boat. Traditionally, those working from home often feel pressure to show a persona separate from their personal life, but that’s much more difficult today. Others are dealing with the sudden isolation of living alone, without the social outlet of work and going out. Many employees are now simultaneously working around their spouse’s or partner’s schedule, caring for or homeschooling children, and attempting to finding a quiet, separate place to work without interruption. The current situation presents an array of unique challenges, and not only because of the abruptness of the transition. Here are what companies need to focus on so their employees can successfully work from home for as long as they need to.Įmpathize with staff as they experience new challenges Navigating this new reality can be daunting. “Whereas previously they had the luxury of a hybrid model - many have suddenly had that option removed.” “What’s unique today is the abruptness and completeness of transition to that mode of working for many organizations,” says Justin Hale, a training developer for the leadership training organization VitalSmarts. As a result, companies are now being challenged to maintain employee productivity, safety, and security while being nimble enough to continue adjusting to a new workplace - or workplace-less - dynamic. And everyone else is also now at home (spouses, roommates, pets, and kids). According to a recent HP survey, 96% of office employees are now working from home, and 63% are doing it without a dedicated work space. While a migration from the traditional office to working remotely from home or any other locationwas already under way, with nearly a quarter of Americans working from home at least some of the time in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the global pandemic has accelerated the trend basically overnight. Companies are now scrambling to meet the needs of a work-from-home employee base, from equipment to security to space concerns, as their workers transition all at once. Now, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, every employee with the ability to work remotely is doing so - and largely winging it. Just a few weeks ago, the ability to work from home was a perk or an as-needed benefit.
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